A more pessimistic view of government

A new poll conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates 1 in 20 Americans have a "profoundly negative view of their government."

The poll, released Thursday suggested many Americans believe elected officials "can or will solve the nation's biggest problems" according to a report from the Associated Press.

We have long been a nation of optimism, believing the best is yet to come and that we will overcome any obstacle.

Now, it appears Congress and the White House have moved our beliefs to that of a more pessimistic view of our future.

Elected officials in Washington have no one to blame but themselves.

The first government shutdown in nearly 20 decades, a budget crisis that put the nation on the brink of disaster and a federal health care initiative which rolled out with problems causing frustration and troubles for the Obama administration.

Americans believe, according to the poll, they could do a better job running the country than those elected in Washington.

It is telling considering 2014 holds midterm elections for members of the House of Representatives and some in the Senate.

The AP reported state and local governments hold higher confidence than Washington with 45 percent of Americans confident in their state's elected officials and 54 percent confident in their local officials.

Americans want a strong government with leaders who address its problems head-on and provide real solutions.

The fact of the matter is we have received less of that in lieu of political bickering and partisanship which has crippled us as a society.

At the end of the day, the poll showed we feel good about ourselves but not about those chosen to lead us.

However, we are not confident about our ability to achieve the American Dream or improve our standard of living.

In the end, Americans feel government has failed and that has created a downtrodden belief in their ability to be successful.

The lingering question is what this means for our future as we enter into a new year with the prospects of new beginnings?

We have the opportunity to make changes in our own lives and in the leaders that take us into the future.

But, at the end of the day, the onus is on us to make those changes. No one is going to do it for us or hand out an easy solution.

The road to future prosperity is hard and we have to be willing to make the trip and deal with the ups and downs that come with it.

We can do it and we can do it together.

It is never too late to change what the future has in store for us all and taking stock, building a willingness to change and making those changes for the better of ourselves and our community could be the best way to do it.

By Matthew Clark, for the Editorial Board

The Daily Courier Editorial Board consists of community members Jerry Brewer, Kyle Bingham, Alex Moore, Tom Padgett and Cliff Strassenburg as well as Editor Matthew Clark